Starting a frag tank

[fish clown]

Well I've kicked around the idea of a frag tank for a bit and I just want to see everything needed. I'm thinking of 10 to 20 gallons just for some trading with local reefers. I think it would be extreamly nice to have this connected to my display tank so I wouldn't have to deal with taking care of two separate tanks. Also I have had this power compact light over my refugium that came with my tank when I bought it but I just now discovered you can use clf bulbs so would that light work well for a frag light? I want to say its 18". I don't have any sps corals becides some Monti but I'm wanting to get some eventually. What would I need in the tank like power heads and live rock ect... If you would post pictures of your frag tank setup, that would be much appreciated.

 

[Ron Reefman]

If it's part of your main system you don't need LR or sand. If you set it up with good flow from the sump, you may not need a powerhead, I use 2 small ones in my 24g frag tank because I set the flow from the sump thru spray bars that run along the bottom of the tank and then have egg crate set on the spray bars (just 1/2" pvc pipe with tiny holes drilled in it and capped off at the end).

Don't be cheap on the light. It's a small tank and small lights are inexpensive. If cost is an issue, shop your local club or CL for a used light. I got a 250w MH (over kill for a shallow frag tank) for free from a reefer who didn't need it any more. After a year I traded it to another reefer who wanted to dump his old 120w led light, so we traded. I liked the led so much better I just bought a new, multi color, dimmable, 120w led fixture from China in a group buy for $140 delivered (by UPS air).

This is the tank when I first set it up and used a Radion led ($750 SERIOUSLY OVER PRICED light).

 

[fish clown]

If it's part of your main system you don't need LR or sand. If you set it up with good flow from the sump, you may not need a powerhead, I use 2 small ones in my 24g frag tank because I set the flow from the sump thru spray bars that run along the bottom of the tank and then have egg crate set on the spray bars (just 1/2" pvc pipe with tiny holes drilled in it and capped off at the end).

Don't be cheap on the light. It's a small tank and small lights are inexpensive. If cost is an issue, shop your local club or CL for a used light. I got a 250w MH (over kill for a shallow frag tank) for free from a reefer who didn't need it any more. After a year I traded it to another reefer who wanted to dump his old 120w led light, so we traded. I liked the led so much better I just bought a new, multi color, dimmable, 120w led fixture from China in a group buy for $140 delivered (by UPS air).

This is the tank when I first set it up and used a Radion led ($750 SERIOUSLY OVER PRICED light).

Ok it sounds simple enough, as long as I have enough space ill think ill be setting one up. How is you overflow setup? Looks like a drilled hole through the glass that PVC connects to and in the tank the pipe is sticking up as high as you want the water level. Did you make the frag tank yourself or was it bought? Do I want a shallow frag tank or would a regular 20 gallon aquarium work?

 

[salman01]

i just setup an individual frag tank. i dont have any lr in there. do u think this is going to become a problem later

 

[fish clown]

Ok if I do a frag tank I think this would be how I do it. I also have a bare bones stand so I have a bit more options.

This is what I have as stand now baisicly

This is what I may do but I'd have to move the tank from the wall. I might have to take apart my tank anyway for a killer SLF crab.

This is what it would look like with a frag tank but it would be in a cabnet so it would have a door on it. I'd put on a fan to keep the heat down in that cabnet. The black thing is the light.

What kind of lights should I go with, I may only have room for a 10-15 gallon tank and I'm thinking LEDs.

 

[fish clown]

Ok if I do a frag tank I think this would be how I do it. I also have a bare bones stand so I have a bit more options.

This is what I have as stand now baisicly

This is what I may do but I'd have to move the tank from the wall. I might have to take apart my tank anyway for a killer SLF crab.

This is what it would look like with a frag tank but it would be in a cabnet so it would have a door on it. I'd put on a fan to keep the heat down in that cabnet. The black thing is the light.

What kind of lights should I go with, I may only have room for a 10-15 gallon tank and I'm thinking LEDs.

 

[fish clown]

I did those pictures with an app on my iphone and so they are not the neatest pictures. I forget to mention the tank will probaly be a regular tank because I can't find small "frag" tanks online. So the tank will be facing you sideways and the frags would be on it like stairs. This is roughly how it would look and you would be facing it like you are going up a staircase. The red arrow is alsol the way you would look.

 

[fish clown]

Today I moved my tank over so I have space for a side cabnet when I build my stand. I also took out the little Sallylight foot crab devil. I should have the frag tank in the next month I hope.

 

[fish clown]

What would be a good light for a ten gallon tank?

 

[zachts]

I've used just about everything now over my frag tanks and a ten gallon anemone tank and I'd have to say that DIY LED is by far my favorate. they are easily dimmable which makes aclimating new frags simiple and they are incredibly small and don't take up valuable space compared to other types of light.

I built a simple 12 LED light for my anemone thank that could be done using a manually dimmable driver for $75-100 if using the latest and greatest LEDs, in reality it is way over kill though and 6 LEDs would suffice, with some enginuity you could probalby hit the $50 mark.

but if buget is an issue I used 3 15watt flourescent bulbs from Home depot for many years on my ten gallon. color of corals wasn't great but I could gro Montiporas under them.

 

[fish clown]

I've used just about everything now over my frag tanks and a ten gallon anemone tank and I'd have to say that DIY LED is by far my favorate. they are easily dimmable which makes aclimating new frags simiple and they are incredibly small and don't take up valuable space compared to other types of light.

I built a simple 12 LED light for my anemone thank that could be done using a manually dimmable driver for $75-100 if using the latest and greatest LEDs, in reality it is way over kill though and 6 LEDs would suffice, with some enginuity you could probalby hit the $50 mark.

but if buget is an issue I used 3 15watt flourescent bulbs from Home depot for many years on my ten gallon. color of corals wasn't great but I could gro Montiporas under them.

I Want LEDs for sure, I just put some on my 75 bad I love them. I'd probaly end up doing a DIY kit. Which brand is good in you experiance? I'd like to spend as little as possible with still getting LEDs that would be sufficient so I'm not wanting crap LEDs but I don't need anything high end either.

 

[fish clown]

To glue coral to frag plates I've heard just about any superglue gel with work. I don't know what I'm going to glue it to yet. I looked at frag plugs online and the cheapest one was $20 for 100. I'd still like to spend less so I had the idea of getting some dry rock and taking a hammer to it and glue frags to just rock rubble baisicly. Would this work or should I get plugs instead?

 

[zachts]

as far as LEDs go, It's about a wash between Cree and Philips Luxeon Rebel. Cree are brighter per chip but Rebels are more efficient. small build so I'd lean towards Luxeon Rebel. Rebel also reportedly have a higher heat tolerance but I think that's somewhat debatable from the data sheets I've read over. Steve's LED is an excellent source for Luxeon as is Rapid LED.

for fraging breaking up a rock would be fine and probably the cheapest to get started. I used to make my own plugs out of reef sand and portland cement but it's easier to just buy them now. check your local stores usually you can find smaller bags for 5 or 6 bucks. and yes any old supper glue works as long as it is pure cyanoacrylate and nothing else. thicker is better, extra thick hobby (model building) works good or you can find it specific for fragging, but its all the same stuff.

 

[fish clown]

I started the stand today, I didn't get all that far but it's a start.
Here is how the stand was

And here is what I have done

I think it going to look nice when its done.
Zachts, do you have any experience with bridgeluxe LEDs?

 

[zachts]

I've used close to 100 of the Bridgelux in varrious applications now and probalby will not be buying anymore. They work just fine but now they are only a dollar or so cheaper and in many cases half as powerfull when driven at the same current as a luxeon rebel or cree X series. So really there isn't any savings over the "higher end" leds.

 

[fish clown]

Well I made my first frag today. I made two, both of them were swim kind of green zoa.

Here is the mother colony

 

[fish clown]

The frags seem to be doing well today

The mother colony

 

[fish clown]

I've been making a lot of progress on the stand so the frag tank should be up in running in 3 weeks would be my guess

 

[fish clown]

Well I will be holding this project for now. I recently bought a 20 gallon zero edge hex and its great but I'm still wiling on it. Hopefully I will make a frag tank eventually.